Twisted vinyl cordage......lost it's 'lay' and now a PITA

[nevetslab]

I'm sure some of you dealing with a constant flow of gear into your shop encounter many amps having vinyl power cords & foot pedal cables, which show up in every conceiveable condition, making you have to untangle the mess, and now have this horrible curly-cue of a power cord that has permanent memory of this new shape. Maybe it's just me who believe cables should have proper 'lay' when uncoiled, if for no other reason, not to present a safety hazard behind the gear when ya gotta go digging.

Sometimes, I'm able to stretch it out, 'milk' the cable jacket from one end to the other (after you've cleaned all the sticky tape from it and barroom spillage), and it will respond. Others seem like a lost cause. Short of taking it outside stand in the sun, stretched out taught and held in that position in hopes that once toasty warm, you can unkink it. The Fender Deluxe Reverb this morning was like that, and then I remembered my heat gun was taken home for a task and hasn't come back yet. I suppose that too could help.

What solutions have you found?

[Bloomfield]

I wonder if an iron (with a cloth over it) might do some good. I've never tried it but I find new uses for them all the time, only rarely involving clothes.

The sun was my first thought though; you certainly have more of that than we do.

[nevetslab]

I wonder if an iron (with a cloth over it) might do some good. I've never tried it but I find new uses for them all the time, only rarely involving clothes.

The sun was my first thought though; you certainly have more of that than we do.

I used to lay mic cables out in the sun on our parking lot in back for the same reason. Only hesitancy on doing it with amps, is, there's nobody out there to watch over them, and prevent someone laying claim to the great prize in the cracker jack box. I haven't thought about trying my old clothing iron. Interesting thought.

[J M Fahey]

I think an iron will melt the exact point it touches and leave the rest cold and uncorrected.

IŽd sweep a heat gun a few inches away so as to evenly heat the whole plastic mass until it softens and can be stretched straight.

[xtian]

Cardboard box to hold the cable, hair dryer on low to heat the air in the box.

[HaroldBrooks]

I've been visiting older discount, dollar, and hardware stores for the past couple of years, and I've come across some good replacement power cords for vintage amps in form of old brown extension cords with molded ends. Some of the extension cords I bought were from the year of the flood, and they have a very old and worn look without ever having been used.

You can also buy some vintage bakelite plugs on ebay if you think the safety one way two prong looks to new and attach that to the end. I always mark my two prong power cords with a 'Sharpie' felt tip pen, a small black dot means positive. I also use an outlet checker to make sure the wall has been wired correctly, and no shocks for several years now. Not original, but looks like it is ! and the cord will play nice for a good long time.

Plug ends :
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+plug&_sacat=0

Outlet checker :
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...LH_TitleDesc=0

Cheap extension cords ? Look in old hardware, discount, or older dollar type stores. Brown, and the occasional very rare and coveted grey two prong.

Here's some used ones on Ebay, Some look good to me for a vintage "replacement" ! Matched with a bakelite end... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-20-E...-/192870367467